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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: game · ruler · mine · scale · fork · bound · row · board

  1. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  7. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  15. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  20. That was ________________ to happen.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. row — to paddle
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. board — to get on
  4. game — wild animals
  5. scale — size or range
  6. board — a flat piece
  7. mine — belonging to me
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. scale — for weighing
  10. bound — obliged
  11. bound — tied together
  12. scale — in music
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. mine — an explosive
  15. board — a committee
  16. row — a line
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. mine — for digging
  20. bound — certain
  21. game — a match
  22. fork — in a road
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. fork — a garden tool

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com